1000 Times
by GoldenSaber
Summary: Diego has never fit in anywhere and desperately searches to find something to fill the void in his heart. The problem is he doesn't know what CAN fill it. He wanders for what seems to be an eternity searching and searching, until he unexpectedly runs into the most beautiful creature he has ever seen. After a while, he realizes what he's been looking for. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This is the first story I have ever attempted, so please be nice. I realize it is short and probably not very good, but some feedback would be great. I will try to get a new chapter up every week but I can't guarantee that. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. :)**

"What am I looking for? Where do I start? My entire life has been hell and no one cares about me. I'm alone." Alone. That word seemed to define my entire existence. My family wanted nothing to do with me, simply because I was different. The life I was living wasn't good enough for me. Deep down I knew that I deserved better and I was determined to fill this deep void inside me. If I didn't, then I would have no choice but to slowly suffer and die alone.

As a cub, my dad abused me. His name is Torren and he looked just like me, except his eyes were brown and he lacked a white underbelly He had a horrific temper and when he got mad, he would claw at my flesh until I would bleed and smack me, sometimes halfway across the cave. My mom, Chloe, died when I was just 3 days old. My two older brothers, Rico and Oscar, were always harassing me and putting me down. Every day was a constant struggle for me to survive and I often thought of leaving, but I was too young to take care of myself.

Whenever I got the chance, I would run off into the woods to practice hunting, even though I wasn't able to catch anything. That didn't bother me though. The woods were an escape from my so-called family. No one ever knew where I went and frankly I don't think they even cared. They probably didn't want me to come back anyway. In fact, I knew they didn't.

After night fell, I would sneak back into our cave, being very careful not to wake my dad. There were some nights though where I wouldn't leave the woods because I was too afraid of him. The nights I didn't come home, I would look at the stars in the clear night sky, wishing for a better life. Every day I told myself 'You have to leave. You can't stay here any longer.' This happened for years.

As I got older, the many days I spent in the woods slowly paid off. My hunting skills increased and I could catch pretty much any prey I wanted, including fish in a nearby stream. Then one day, something snapped inside me. "What am I still doing here?! I can support myself now. I have to go." I knew I was able to take care of myself now, so I left my dad and brothers and never looked back. I finally felt free! They could no longer abuse me or put me down. I had never been so happy in my entire life. But that joy and excitement didn't last for long.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, here is the next chapter. I tried to make it more detailed and for the most part, I like it. Leave reviews please and enjoy! :)**

As I wandered aimlessly through the snow-covered wilderness, I started thinking about my mother and what really happened to her. All I knew is that she died when I was very young, 3 days to be exact. My dad had told me her cause of death was from some humans, wanting her beautiful coat. For some reason, I just didn't want to believe that and that there must have been something he was hiding from me. I couldn't explain why I felt like this. I thought about this day after day, trying to come up with a reasonable solution. But I couldn't. In the back of my mind I knew something wasn't right about the whole situation.

By this point, I had been gone for over a month and had been sleeping in a small cave near some flat plains for about a week. It was a great spot to get food, primarily antelope since that was my favorite meal. There was an abundance of them and since I was the only predator in the area, as far as I knew, I got to have my pick of the litter every day. There was also a river nearby, so I ate fish pretty often as well. My life seemed to be getting better by the day. It felt great to be on my own and not be constantly bullied and beaten up. For the most part I was happy and enjoying my life of freedom.

When night came, my entire demeanor changed. I would think about my future and what could fill that emptiness inside me. 'What is missing from my life? Will I ever be able to find what I need to be truly happy?' These thoughts started to corrupt me and eventually I developed severe depression. I went days without eating and I rarely left the comfort of my cave. All I did was cry and cry, feeling hopeless and unwanted by everyone. There were times where I considered just ending my misery so I wouldn't suffer anymore. I still can't figure out what held me back from killing myself. There must have been something deep in the recesses of my mind that kept me from ending my life, whether it was my conscious or something else I'm not sure. Looking back now, I think it was my mother. She must have been looking after me all along and I didn't know it.

A few months went by and nothing changed. I lost a lot of weight and felt weak all the time. I got up one day to drink some water from the river like I usually did and managed to catch a fish, but I only ate a couple bites which did nothing for me. About 20 minutes later, I heard a loud 'Help me!' from behind some nearby bushes. I ignored it at first thinking I was just hearing things, but it got louder and more desperate. I could tell it was a female from the voice and she must have been hurt pretty bad by the sound of it. I slowly moved toward the sound, being very cautious in case it was a trick. As I peered over the bushes, I finally saw what was making all the screams for help. My blood ran cold from the sight in front of me.

It was a female saber and her leg had been severely gashed from a large, sharp branch. She was bleeding profusely and I knew I had to stop it or she would die. I grabbed some leaves from a nearby tree as well as some vines to tie them onto her leg. Using what little strength I had, I put pressure on the wound and after a short time it stopped bleeding. By the time it stopped, she had already passed out from blood loss. I knew I couldn't leave her here defenseless, so I scooped her up onto my back and carried her to my cave. Gently, I laid her down and took the bandage off to see how bad it was. There were some lotus berries nearby and I knew they would help numb the pain, so I grabbed one and squeezed the juice onto her wound. I wasn't sure if she would be able to walk on that leg anymore because of how deep she had been cut. I checked to make sure she was still breathing and thankfully she was.

I was so distracted trying to help her that I didn't notice just how beautiful she was. Her fur was a silver-gray with black stripes running down her back. She had fur on both sides of her face that flared out some, alternating between silver and black stripes. What struck me most of all was her gorgeous sapphire eyes that glistened like the sea. I couldn't see them now of course, but I got a glimpse before when I was tending to her wound. That image would remain in my mind forever. I couldn't believe such a beautiful creation was right next to me.

She was out cold the rest of the day and throughout the night. The rest of the day, I stayed by her side protecting her. During this time, my mind was racing from the events that happened earlier. 'How did such a beautiful animal like her end up here with me? Is it just meant to be?' I kept thinking to myself. It was hard to keep my eyes off of her. I was getting hungry, but I knew I couldn't leave the cave in fear that something else might happen. All of a sudden, I noticed she was shivering. I laid close beside her to keep her warm, wrapping my paws around her soft fur. This was the best feeling I had ever felt and I didn't ever want to move away from her. I was determined to keep her safe and secure for the rest of my life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is chapter 3. There is a lot more dialogue starting in this chapter and future chapters will have a lot as well. This may be the last chapter I can get up this week due to final exams. I will update if I can. I appreciate the feedback I've been getting. You guys are the best! Thanks for reading and leave reviews please. Enjoy! :)**

'Dad, please stop! It hurts!'

'Good! You deserve it. You're nothing but a waste of fur and should never have existed!'

'Mom, please help me!'

'She's gone forever and can never help you again. Now shut up!'

I woke up startled and afraid. Fortunately it was all just a dream, but it seemed so real. I was remembering my past when my dad abused me. These memories had been haunting me recently in my dreams and getting any sleep was becoming harder and harder.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?! Get your paws off of me!" a voice said. It was the female I was lying beside from the night before.

"Oh, um, s-sorry. I can explain."

"I don't even know you! Why are you touching me?!" she said furiously.

"Please, give me a chance to explain. I'm not sure if you remember, but you were injured and I found you. Your leg was cut badly, so I treated it. The reason I was touching you is because you were shivering last night and I didn't want you freezing to death. I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help! I can take care of myself!" she replied.

"I can see that." I said sarcastically. "What's your name?"

"Shira. And you?" She was still clearly frustrated.

"I'm Diego. Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, whatever. I gotta get out of here."

"I wouldn't try that, kitty. It will take some time before you can walk again. You need to rest."

"Look, I'm not some helpless cub, I can do this on my own. And DON'T call me kitty! Ow!"

She tried to stand up, but the pain was too intense. I knew she couldn't leave the cave for at least a few more days.

"I'm serious, you need to stay put and rest. You'll get better a lot faster if you do. I can take care of the hunting for both of us."

"Ugh, fine. But ONLY until I can walk again. Then I'm out of here."

"Fine with me, kitty." She glared at me, hating that nickname.

I walked out of the cave, frustrated and hungry. Deep down I didn't want her to leave, but I wasn't about to tell her that. Soon after I found a herd of gazelle. There were plenty to choose from, so I nabbed one and brought it back to her. She needed to eat more than I did to get her strength back.

"Alright, lunch is served. Dig in."

The next thing I know, she starts devouring the gazelle carcass. It seemed as though she hadn't eaten in days. I let her eat it all since she seemed so desperate for food.

"Well, someone's hungry."

She glanced up at me for a split second and continued eating.

Once she finished, I drug the carcass out and disposed of it in the woods. I was still starving from not having eaten the night before and hunting this morning.

"You need some water?" I said to her.

"Yeah, I'm thirsty."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

I made my way over to the river and scooped some water into a small bowl-like log I found near the bank. Before I went back, I snatched some fish and ate them to hold me over for a little while.

Just as I was about to head back into the cave, I saw her cleaning herself since she had just eaten. I hid behind a corner, peering in very carefully to watch and trying to make sure I wasn't seen by her. Once again, thoughts of her entered my mind as I watched her. 'Wow, she's even more beautiful than I thought. The sun reflecting off her coat makes her look like an angel. I must be the luckiest saber in the world.' She looked up, but I backed up just in time to avoid being seen. A couple minutes later, I went in and set the bowl next to her.

"Well, here you go. Anything else?"

She lapped up every drop with her tongue.

"No, I feel better now. By the way, sorry about before. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I know you were just trying to help."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I would have reacted the same way if I was in your position."

We both remained quiet for a little while. It started to get dark outside and we were both getting hungry again. I ran out and got more food and water for us, but this time we shared a meal. We finished eating and started letting our food digest.

"So, what happened yesterday? You know, how did you get hurt?" I asked.

"Oh, I was chasing down a gazelle and it took a hard left turn and tripped me up. I must have cut myself in the process. I didn't realize just how bad it was until vultures started swarming above me, like they knew it was only a matter of time. I thought I was dead for sure at that point. That's when I started crying out for help. The next thing I know, I woke up in this cave."

"Good thing I heard you, otherwise you would have been a mid-day snack for those vultures."

She giggled a little and said, "Yeah."

A giggle. That was progress. I knew, slowly but surely, that she was warming up to me. I would wait as long as I needed to for her. There was no other saber on this Earth that I wanted as much as her. Darkness set in and we decided to call it a night.

"Let's get some sleep. Goodnight, kitty."

"For the LAST time, don't call me kitty."

"Fine...kitty." I mumbled so she could barely hear me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Phew! I managed to squeeze this chapter out before I leave tomorrow. Sorry that it's a bit shorter. I didn't have much time to write it, but I hope you enjoy it! See you all when I get back! Leave reviews plz! :)**

One specific dream from my past invaded my mind that night, but this time it was different than any I had before. There was another male saber who was fighting with my dad. He kept saying 'He is my son, not yours!' over and over again. I couldn't make sense of this because I had only ever known one saber to be my dad. The fact that this other saber was claiming that I was HIS son really made me confused, but also curious as to why he would say that.

I remembered the dream so clearly after I woke up and couldn't help wonder if it actually happened or if my imagination was getting the better of me. I would much rather be dreaming about Shira and a possible future with her. To my surprise, she had actually snuggled up next to me while I was sleeping. It was still dark out, but I knew I wouldn't fall back asleep. Gently, I rose and quietly walked out of the cave, careful not to wake her.

The sky was so clear that night. You could see every star in the sky and the moon beamed down on the river, creating a beautiful glow on the water. I sat on a nearby cliff edge and just stared up into the night sky. My only thoughts were of my mother and if she was looking back at me. I missed her terribly and I knew she missed me just as much. I started to feel a tear come to my eye, which was something that never happened to me.

"Diego?" I heard a voice behind me. It was Shira.

"Oh, hey." I said trying to cover up my sadness.

"Are you ok? I woke up and you were gone."

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I lied. "Just had another one of my dreams."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Nah, I'm alright. It was just a dream." I sighed then said, "Can I ask you something though?"

"Of course."

"Did you know your mother? I mean, do you remember spending time with her?"

A sad expression formed on her face. I knew immediately I shouldn't have said anything. "Not really. She died when I was very young. Why?"

"Well, it's just that my mom died when I was a cub too. I never got to know her. I can't even remember what she looked like."

"Was that the dream you had?" she asked with a concerned look.

"Not tonight, but other nights yes. I just really miss her."

I was beginning to feel moistness in my eyes again, but I forced myself to hold it back so I wouldn't look too soft in front of her. All of this opening up wasn't like me. I couldn't explain all the emotion I was suddenly feeling. It just came over me like a giant wave sweeping me out to sea. I was drowning in emotion, but I did my best not to show it. As a saber, I was supposed to be rigid and tough all the time. Weakness and emotion weren't supposed to affect me like they were that night. It was the first time I actually ever felt "soft", but in a way I liked that feeling. It made me realize that you can be tough and aggressive but still have a side to you that is fragile and weak. Of course, I try to keep that side of me to a minimum. I snapped back to reality and looked at her.

"By the way Shira, I'm really sorry about your mom. It's a shame we didn't know them."

"I'm sorry too. Seems like we have more in common than we thought." She gave a small smile to me, and I returned one.

"Yeah." I continued watching the sky for another minute or so, then something I really wasn't expecting happened.

She gently gave me a small lick on my cheek, which took me by surprise.

Stunned, I said "What was that for?"

She had a dreamy, sexy look in her eyes and said "Oh, nothing. Just trying to cheer you up a little, softie."

Smiling, I said "Well it definitely worked. Thank you, kitty." I returned her lick with one of my own.

We walked back to the cave together to get a few hours of sleep in, both of us feeling happier. I could tell she felt something for me now, but how deep it was I didn't know. Even though we had only known each other for two days, we both had strong feelings for each other. Of course neither of us would admit our true feelings out loud because of our pride. I just hoped that she felt the same way about me as I did for her. As long as she was by my side, I felt complete. As long as she was there, nothing else mattered. I dozed back to sleep, feeling her warm pelt against mine, and finally enjoying life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey all! So here is the next chapter. Let me know what you think about it. I'll update again as soon as I can. Hope you enjoy, and leave reviews please! **

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and energetic, ready to take on the day. The night before, I didn't have any nightmares and slept like a baby. It was such a good feeling to be able to sleep soundly and not wake up from a treacherous dream. I got up being very careful not to wake the beautiful sound-sleeping sabress next to me. It was tough because she had her paw over my shoulder and I had to slowly ease it onto the ground without waking her. I took a moment to just enjoy looking at her warm body, her chest slowly moving up and down as she slept. She had a small smile on her face, which made me think she was dreaming something pleasant. I then notice her leg that was once severely cut was now healed, as if she had never been hurt. Of course that made me happy, but I also felt a little scared.

'She can walk again, so what's stopping her from leaving now? Nah, she won't just leave that quick…will she?'

I put that out of my mind for the time being and decided to go hunt for some breakfast.

It was colder this morning than it had been recently. Fresh snow covered the ground from the night before, which made hunting even harder since there were no visible tracks. After searching for a while, I finally found a rabbit nibbling on some tall grass. It wasn't much, but at least it would hold me over for a while. Slowly, I snuck up on it and pounced. Unfortunately it heard me at the last second and dashed off before I could grab it. Frustrated and cold, I made my way back toward the cave.

I could see the cave opening from about twenty yards away when I suddenly heard a female voice cry out "No! Let me go!" I ducked behind some bushes to keep out of sight. A few seconds later, I saw three sabers come out of the cave, the biggest one carrying Shira on his back. Her eyes were shut and she was motionless. They all had the same color pelt as I did which shocked me. At that moment, I recognized them.

'Dad? Rico, Oscar?!'

I couldn't believe it. My dad, Torren, and my two brothers somehow found out where I was. It had been years since I had seen them. But why would they be after Shira? They didn't even know her. All I knew is that I had to follow them and make sure they didn't harm her.

I quietly moved through the greenery making sure I was close enough to see them, but not too close where they could see or hear me. Not too far away, they entered a cave in the side of a mountain. My dad took Shira off his back and put her in what looked to be a makeshift cell of some kind that was adjacent to the cave opening. He sealed it with a large boulder that only he could move. My brothers appeared to be standing guard outside the cave, like it was their job or something. After my dad went back in the cave, they followed closely behind him.

Hours went by and she still had not woken up. I really wanted to get her out of there, but I knew it would be easier in the dark. When darkness finally fell, I slowly emerged and made my way to the cell where she laid. Fortunately my dad and brothers were asleep in the cave and didn't hear me.

"Shira? Shira, are you ok?" I whispered to her. Gently I nudged her and she woke up startled.

"Get away from me!" she shouted.

"Shh shh, it's me, Diego. You need to keep quiet."

"Diego! Oh thank goodness. H-How did you find me?" she asked relieved.

"I heard your scream from the cave and I followed the sabers that took you. They don't know I'm here."

"We do now." a deep voice said behind me. "So what do we have here? My long lost son, here to rescue his little pet. How sweet."

I turned around to come face to face with my father. He was smirking like he had accomplished something big. My brothers joined him, one standing on either side with menacing smiles on their faces.

"What are you guys doing here? And how did you find me?" I said with a demanding voice.

"You still haven't put it together? Huh, you're dumber than I thought. Why don't you ask your little 'pet' how we found you?" my father said sarcastically.

"Shira, what is he talking about?" I ask with a confused look.

"Diego, I….I" she started to answer but was interrupted by Oscar.

"She has been working alongside us since the day you two met. That cut she had on her leg wasn't a hunting accident. We staged it to look like that."

"To put it to you simple, son, we created this whole plan to get to you. And it worked like a charm thanks to her. She's like my little puppet, doing anything I tell her to without hesitation. She knew what would happen if she defied me."

I was mortified by what I was hearing. I didn't want to believe anything my father told me; I couldn't. This beautiful, amazing sabress that I had fallen for couldn't be doing this to me.

"I don't believe that! You're lying! She isn't like that." I said enraged.

"Wake up you idiot! She's been behind this the whole time. Do you actually think she cares about you?! I told her exactly what to do, what to say…everything! No one has EVER cared about you, and no one ever will!"

"Shira, please tell me this isn't true. Were…were you really using me this whole time?!" There were so many emotions packed into those few words; anger, sadness, hopelessness, hurt, just to name a few. I could feel moisture building up in my eyes, but I held it back.

She was crying at this point and she had a hard time getting any words out.

"Diego, I…I didn't h-have a choice. H-he threatened to k-kill me if I didn't obey him. I'm so s-sorry. I never wanted to h-hurt you."

That completely crushed me. My heart was breaking and I didn't know what to do. Deep down I knew I loved her, but after this, I just didn't know anymore. I thought she loved me too, but how could she? I knew it was too good to be true. I was destined to be alone and hated forever.

"Now that that's all out in the open, there is one more thing you should know…before I destroy you."

**A/N:**

**Yeah, a bit of a cliffhanger there at the end. I had a hard time thinking this chapter up, but I hope you guys like it. Updates will probably be sporadic since I recently started back at college, but I will post chapters when I get the chance. **


	6. Chapter 6

"I'll be crystal clear with you so we avoid any misunderstandings, ok? I am not your father. Alexander was my brother, and he died before you were born. He was the pack leader and died defending us from an opposing pack that attempted to take over. I fought by his side to protect our pack. I was wounded during the battle, but I recovered from my injuries. Your father on the other hand suffered life-threatening injuries, which in turn he died from. After you were born, your mother asked me to step up and raise you as my own. I agreed to, but I ALWAYS despised you. Being the son of the former pack leader, I knew you would eventually take his place; my place. I was determined to keep that from happening, so I came up with a plan; a plan to get rid of you. I have to say, it was quite ingenious! Your mother's death, the constant beatings, and eventually you running away. It worked like a charm! For a while, everything was going just fine. Then I realized something. I wasn't satisfied with just letting you run away. No, I wanted to finish what I had started when you were a cub. And now the time has come, to finish you off!"

I couldn't believe everything I had just heard. The saber who I thought for my whole life was my father, was actually my uncle; my jealousy-driven uncle who wanted my position as leader. I always knew something wasn't right about him.

"What did you mean by my mother's death? You planned that?!"

He chuckled and said, "Of course. With her gone, I could do whatever I wanted to you."

"What did you do to her?!" I demanded.

"Oh, **I **didn't do anything. Your 'brothers' on the other hand took care of her for me. And if it hasn't already hit you, they are actually your cousins. They ambushed Chloe while she was hunting and, well, let's just say SHE was the prey this time."

I glared at Oscar and Rico, ready to take both of them down at that instant. They were standing on opposite sides of Torren, both wearing an evil grin. So much rage and hatred was building up inside of me and I had to release it. Shira managed to chew through the wooden posts that had served as window bars in the cell and stood next to me. I could tell by the look on her face that she wanted revenge just as much as I did. We looked at each other without saying a word and nodded, confirming that we would take all three of them down together.

Torren spoke up.

"Well, looks like my little puppet is trying to lose her strings. Fine, if that's how you want it to be, I'll gladly finish you off as well. I'm done with you anyway."

That made Shira furious and she said, "Your days of controlling me are OVER!"

She charged at Torren ready to take him down and I followed closely behind her. Rico and Oscar came right at us while Torren stayed behind. They pretty much served as his minions, doing his dirty work and guarding him. I collided with Oscar, slashing at his face and leaving him scarred. He tried to grab me, but barely missed as I tackled him to the ground, sinking my fangs into his neck. I held him down to cut off his air supply and after a few seconds, he lay motionless. I then turned back to Shira who was being held down by Rico. She wasn't nearly as strong as I was, so I grabbed him and threw him into a wall. He slammed into it head first with such force, killing him instantly.

"Shira, are you ok?" I asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for that."

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to deal with him" I said glaring at Torren.

He was looking at his recently deceased sons, which enraged him more than ever. Then he looked back at me, and without saying a word, he charged. I remained where I was, ready to fight to the death. It was time I avenged my parents and ended this monster.

Just as we were about to make contact, he turned right for Shira. Catching her off guard, he pounced on her and pinned her to the ground. She was struggling to get up, but she didn't have the strength to push him away.

"NO!" I yelled as I rammed into him. He fell over but quickly recovered and smacked me in the face with his paw. I fell to the ground as I felt him clawing and beating me repeatedly, just like he did when I was a cub; only this time, I could fight back. I wasn't a weak, helpless cub anymore. Even though I was covered in blood and scratches, my adrenaline was pumping harder than ever as I forced myself up, dodging his attempted blows at me. Finally I saw an opportunity to take him out.

As he tried to claw me for the last time, I grabbed his leg and flung him into a rock wall. The impact caused the rocks and boulders above to tumble down on top of him, crushing him to death. All I saw of him was one paw sticking out from under the large pile. It was done. My nightmare was over.

**A/N:**

** It's a little shorter than I wanted, but overall I'm satisfied. Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll update as soon as I can. :)**


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